Toy bank



S. W. POTTERF Oct, 5 1926.

TOY BANK Filed Jan. 15. 1923 l l l l I l l I l l.)

Patented Get. 5, 1926.

SHERMAN w. ro'rrnnr, or DAYTON, OHIO.

TOY BANK.

Application filed January 13, 1323. Serial No. 612,535.

This invention relates to toy banks and the like. 7

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which will provide a convenient receptacle for small coins and in which the insertion of the coin will involve certain mechanical operations which will be attractive to children and encourage the saving of the, coins.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a device of this kind which will issue a receipt for each coin inserted therein. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind having'a normally locked closure which can be released only when a predetermined number of coins have been inserted therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which has a simple, elficient operatingmechanism for controlling the insertion of the coins and discharging the checks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind with means for registering the number of coins inserted therein. 7 d

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the mechanism, with the top closure removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism with the side wall broken away; Fig. '3 is a sectional view taken through the base and the ejector; Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4.4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the locking device for the closure; and Fig. 7 is a detail'view of one of the checks.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illus tration only and that the invention may take various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In that particular form of the device here shown it comprises a housing 1 provided with a coin receptacle 2. In the present construction this coin receptacle is formed by mounting in the lower portion of the housing a partition 3, which preferably constitutes a base on which the several parts of the. operating mechanism are mounted and this partition is provided with an opening or passageway 4. eading to the coin rece n tacle 2. The housing has formed in one side wall thereof and above the parti t1on3, an inlet opening 5 through which the coins may be inserted. Also mounted within the" housing and preferably slidably mounted upon the partition or base 3 is a movable member or ejector plate 6 which is normally held in its foremost position by means of a spring 7. Carried by this ejector or plate 6 is a structure constituting a pocket 8 open at its outer side and arranged to communicate with the inlet 5 when the ejector is; in its foremost position, whereby a coin inserted through the inlet will enter the pocket. Suitable means are provided for retractingthe plate against the tension of the spring 7 and this means is of such a character that it will operate the plate only when there is a coin in the pocket 8. As

here shown, this operating means is in the form .of a bar 9 slidably mounted at its forward end in a lug 10, carried by the base 3, and having its rear" end projecting through the rear wall of the housing to form an operating handle 11. The operating bar ineman is held normally in its foremost position by g means of a spring 12 coiled about the bar and confined betweenthe rear wall of the housing and the shoulder 13 of the bar. The operating bar is provided with a shoulder 1 which, when the bar is'in its foremost or normal position, lies in front of the pocket 8. The pocket 8 is provided-with an opening, here shown as a notch 15 arranged in the upper edge thereof, which is of'such a size and arrangement that when the pocket is empty the shoulder 1a of'the operating bar 9 may move through the opening in the pocket, thus preventing the operation of the plate by the bar. When a coin has been inserted in the pocket it will overlap the notch or opening 15 and will lie in the path of the shoulder 14 of the operating bar. Consequently when the bar is operated movement will be transmitted through the coin and the pocket to the plate and the latter will be retracted. The ejector plate has an opening in line with and forming a part of the pocket, so that the coin in the pocket will rest upon the base 3. The pocket is so arranged with relation to the passageway 4, which leads to the coin receptacle, that the coin will be discharged from the pocket through the passageway when the ejector plate has been retracted.

A suitable detent is provided for retairu ing .the ejector plate in its retracted position and, as here shown, this detent comprises a latch 16 pivotally mounted on a lug 17 carried by the plate 6 and having a projection or lug 18 extending through an opening 19 in the plate 6 and so arranged that when the plate has been fully retracted the lug 18 will drop into an opening 20 in the partition 3 and thus lock the plate in its retracted position. he latch 16 has a rear portion 21 arranged to be projected through an opening 22 in the rear wall of the housing 1 when the plate has been re .tracted, thus providing means for actuating the latch to disconnect the plate from the base 3 and permitthe same to be moved forwardly by the spring 7 Mounted within the housing and, in the present. instance, supported by the base near the front wall of the housing, is a check receptacle 23 adapted to receive a number of checks. In the present instance the check receptacle is tubular in form and the checks are in the form of small disks 24. The tubular check receptacle is proridcd at its lower end with a discharge opening 25 arranged in line with an outlet 26 in the front wall :of the housing. The ejector plate 6 has a forwardly projecting portion or finger 27 which, when the plate is in its foremost position, will extend into the bottom of the tube 23 and form a support for the stack of checks within the same. When thexplate is retracted the finger 27 will be withdrawn from beneath the checks and the latter will move downwardly until the lowermost check rests upon the base 3 in line with the projection 27 of the ejector plate. lVhen the ejector plate is released and moves forwardly this projection will engage the lowermost check and discharge the same through the openings 25 and 26, thus causing a check to be issued upon each operation of the ejector plate and inasmuch as this plate can only be operated when a coin has been inserted in the bank the checks so issued will constitute receipts and will indicate the number of coins which have been deposited in the bank. As a matter of convenience I have mounted on the exterior wall of the housing a carrier which ishere shown in the form of a vertical rod 28 adapted to receive the checks which are provided with central openings 29 to permit them to be placed upon the rod.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that when a coin has been inserted in the pocket 8 the actuating device 11 may be operated to retract the ejector, to carry the coin into a position in which it will be discharged through the passageway .into the coin receptacle and to permit a check to drop into line with the check outlet. When the ejector has been thus retracted it will be automatically locked in its retracted position by the latch 16 and the part 21 of the latch will project beyond the wall of the housing into a position in which it may be actuated by the operator at any subsequent time to release the ejector and permit it to be operated by the spring 7 to eject the check, thus providing a series of operations under the control of the operator which add materiall-yto the attraction of the toy and serve as an inducement to a child to deposit coins therein in order that the mechanism may be operated. V V

In order that access maybe had to the coin receptacle to remove the money therefrom, one side wall 30 of the housing is removable and is held normally in its closed position by ahinged lid 31 which closes the upper end of the housing and is provided with flanges 32 overlapping the upper-edges of the'several walls. This lid or closure is normally locked in its closed position and can. be opened only when a predetermined number of coins have been inserted in the coin receptacle. As here shown, it has secured thereto a yieldable latch 33 provided with a shoulder 34 adapted to engage beneath alug or keeper 35 secured to an up right standard 36 mounted on the base 3. The latch is provided with a portion 37 depending beneath the shoulder 34 and constitu tingra trip finger by meansof which the latch may be moved out of engagement with the keeper 35 and the lid permitted to open. Preferably a. spring acts upon the lid tomovezit into a partially open position when the latch has been released. As here shown this spring is in the form of aflat spring 88 secured to the lid 31 and bearing against the rear wall of the housing when the lid is in its closed position. The latch is automatically controlled by means of a ratchet wheel 39 rotatably mounted on the standard 36 and actuated by a yieldable pawl 10 car ried by the ejector plate 6 and so arranged that it will engage the ratchet and advance the same the space of one tooth upon each complete rearward movement of the ejector plate. Rigidly secured to the ratchet wheel is a laterally extending projection or pin ll arranged to engage the trip finger 37 of the latch 83 when the ratchet wheel has conr plcted a predetermined movement. hen the check receptacle has been. filled and prior to the closing of the housing the ratchetwheel is set with the pin it in a predetermined position. If it is desired that the ratchet wheel should make a complete rotation before the closure is opened the pin is arranged immediately in the rear of the trip finger 37. If it is desired that the ratchet wheel should make but a partial revolution before the closure is opened the pin is positioned accordingly. If desired the ratchet wheel may be provided on its outer face with numbers, one for each tooth,

and these numbers may be read through an opening e2- in the wall of the housing, thus constituting the ratchet wheel a registering device which will register the number of coins inserted in the bank; A detent pawl 43 holds the ratchet wheel against reverse movement.

, It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I haveprovided a toy bank of a very compact and simple construction which will issue check or each coin inserted therein and which will be locked against access to the coin receptacle until a predetermined number of coins have been inserted therein and which will register the number of coins inserted therein. It will further be noted that the operating mechanism is practically all mounted on the base 3 so that this base can be assembled as a unit and then inserted in the possible by slightly tilting the base to insert the operating handle 11 through the wall of the housing.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limitee to the details thereof as various modifications may appear to one skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a housing comprising an upper compartment having a coin inlet and a check outlet, said housing also having a coin receptacle and a passageway leading from said upper coinpartment to said coin receptacle, a check receptacle communicating with said check outlet, an ejector mounted in said upper compartment and arranged to discharge checks from said check receptacle, a spring acting on said ejector to hold the same normally in its foremost or ejecting position, a part carried by said ejector and forming a pocket arranged to communicate with said coin inlet when said ejector is in its normal position, means controlled by a coin in said pocket to retract said ejector against the tension of said spring, and a detent to retain said ejector in its retracted position, said detent having means operable independent of said retracting means to release said ejector from said detent, and said pocket having an opening arranged to communicate with the passageway leading to said coin receptacle when said ejector has been retracted.

Q. In a device of the character described,

a housing having a coin receptacle and a passageway leading thereto, and also having a coin inlet and a check outlet, a check receptacle communicating with said outlet, an ejector mounted in said housing and arranged to discharge a check from said check receptacle, a spring acting on said ejector housing, this being to hold the same normally in its foremost or ejecting position, a part carried by said ejector rand forming a pocket arranged to communicate with said coin inlet when said ejector is in its normal position, an actuator iaving a part extending beyond said housing and having a part arranged to engage a coin in said pocket and retract said ejector against the action of said spring, and a detent to retain said. ejector in its retracted position, said detent having a part operable from the exterior of said housing to release said ejector, said pocket having an opening arranged to communicate with the passageway leading to said coin receptacle when said ejector has been moved to a position to be held by said detent.

3. In a device of the character described, a housing comprising an upper compartment having a coin inlet and check outlet, said housing also having a coin receptacle and a passageway leading from said upper compartment to said coin receptacle, a check receptacle communicating with said check outlet, an ejector mounted in said upper compartment and arranged to discharge chec ts from said check receptacle, a spring acting on said ejector to hold-the same normally. inits foremost or ejecting position, a part carried by said ejector and forming a pocket arranged to communicate with said coin inlet when said ejector is in its normal position, said pocket having a transverse opening through the upper edge thereof which will be closed bya coin seated in said pocket, an actuator mounted in the upper compartment of said housing, above said pocket and having a shoulder adapted to move through the opening in said pocket and to engage a coin therein to retract said ejector, a spring tending to hold said ejector normally in its with said pocket in line with said C0111 inlet, said pocket having an opening arranged to communicate with a passageway which leads to said coin receptacle when the ejector has been retracted against the tension of said spring, andmeans to retard the forward movement of said ejector to permit said actuator to move relatively thereto and release said coin.

4:. In a device of the character described, a housing having a coin receptacle and a passageway leading thereto, and also having 'a coin inlet and a check outlet, a check receptacle communicating with said outlet, an ejector plate slidably mounted in said housing and having a part arranged to enter said check receptacle and discharge a check through said check outlet, a spring actin on said ejector plate to hold the same normally in its ejecting position, a part carried by said ejector plate and arranged to communicate with said coin inlet when said ejector plate is in its ejecting position,

extending v ejecting position i an actuator slidably mounted in said housing and having a part to engage a coin in said pocket and retract the ejector plate, a detent pivotally mounted on said ejector plate, adapted to engage a fixed part of said housing when said ejector plate has been retracted and having another part arranged to project beyond said housing when said ejector plate is in its retracted position, whereby said detent may be actuated to release said eject-er plate, said pocket having an opening arranged to communicate with the passageway leading to said coin recep tacle when said ejector plate is in its retracted position.

5. In a device of the character described, a housing having a coin receptacle and a passageway leading thereto, said housing also having a coin inlet in a side wall thereof, a member slidably mounted in said housing, a pocket carried by said slidable memher and adapted to communicate with said coin inlet when said slidable member is in its foremost position and having a notch in the topwall thereof adapted to be closed by a coin in said pocket, a spring acting on said slida-ble member to hold the same in its foremost position, a fixed part arranged In advance of said coin pocket and having a guideway, a bar slidably mounted in said guideway and in the rear wall of said housing and having a shoulder arranged to move through the notch in said pocket and to engage a coin therein to retract said ejector against the action of said spring, said pocket having an opening arranged to communicate with the passageway leading I to said coin receptacle when said slidable member has been retracted, and means to so control the relative movements of said slidable member and said bar as to cause said coin to be released while said pocket is in com munication with said passage-way.

6. In a toy bank, a coin receptacle, a check receptacle, an ejector, a spring acting on said ejector to cause the same to discharge checks from said check receptacle, an actuator to retract said ejector against the action of said spring, coin controlled means to connect said actuator with said ejecter, and a detent to retain said ejector in its retracted position and having means operable from the exterior of said bank to release said ejector for operation by said spring.

In testimony whereof, I aiiiX my signature hereto.

SHERMAN lV. POTTERF. 

